republicans to insist on spending cuts in order to raise the debt ceiling and key senate republican says mr. obama doesn't get it. >> you have a kid that keeps a credit card loaded and a person that would tear up the credit card but you look at the credit. republicans are willing to pay for past bill but this is about the future bill. the president misses the point here. >> reporter: today, house democratic whip steny hoyer said new revenue must accompany spending cuts. for day, the final passage is expected in the house in the next hour or so. bret? >> bret: mike, we will follow that on fox. thank you. ominous note now from one of the world's top credit agencies. fitch rating says the u.s. could lose the top credit rating if there is a delay in raising the debt limit. we'll find out with the senior political analyst brit hume thinks about this. good evening. >> good evening. the warning from the fitch rating agency today is certainly will become talking point for president and democrats who claim the republicans are using the debt ceiling recklessly as leverage for spending cuts. w

president the right to do so not evil. republicans holding the debt ceiling hostage wrong. democrats doing the same thing, not wrong. not close. you can't say republicans aren't reading the will of the people in election when the people kept them in charge of the house in the same election. election have consequences, of course. perhaps hiking taxes on the rich is up with of them. but that does not mean we don't do a lick about our debt. not getting a handle on spending wasn't one of them. hearing only one side don't make you a journalist but doing so to ignore the other side makes you charyl top. charlatan. go after the goose, go after the gander. what is a gander? do you know? be fair, balanceed. both sides. have at it. >> dana: hello, i'm dana perino with kimberly guilfoyle, bob beckel, eric bolling, andrea tantaros. it's 5:00 in new york city. this is "the five." ♪ ♪ >> dana: earlier today, president obama held the final press conference of his first term in the east room of the white house. the main attraction, our old friend the debt ceiling. they could default on the debt,

talking tough ahead of the next big fight with congress over the debt ceiling. >>> the president said vice president biden has presented him with a list of common sense steps to prevent gun violence. but the biggest question is how much of it the administration can actually get passed through the congress. >>> and watching last night's golden globes, one thing was clear to me, america once again feels good about itself. we've got a new sense of optimism, and the movies show it. >>> the latest attack on science by a republican member of the house science committee. what a strange name for that crowd. that's in the "sideshow" tonight. and this is "hardball," the place for politics. zzzquil™ sleep-aid. it's not for colds. it's not for pain. it's just for sleep. because sleep is a beautiful thing™. ♪ zzzquil™. the non-habit forming sleep-aid from the makers of nyquil®. nothing. are you stealing our daughter's school supplies and taking them to work? no, i was just looking for my stapler and my... this thing. i save money by using fedex ground and buy my own supplies. that's a gre

cantore proposes a three-month deal on the debt ceiling. some democrats are calling it a trap. i'll ask dnc chairwoman debbie wasserman schultz what she thinks. it's do or die time for filibuster reform and democrats are about to drop the ball. >> nos,, sir, i will not yield. tonight, my message to senator harry reid. plus the american people are getting ripped off by a congress that just isn't working. congressman rick nolan was there is 30 years ago. he's back now and he can't believe the difference. he's wondering, are we getting paid for this? >>> is it really an admission of guilt if you don't show any remorse? >> it did not even feel wrong? >> no. it's scary. >> did you feel bad about it? >> no. even scarier. >> psychologist dr. jeffrey gardere on lance armstrong's bizarre performance last night. >> good to have you with us tonight, folks. thanks for watching. republicans surrendered today in one of their biggest fights. president obama warned republicans about taking the debt ceiling hostage. it looks like they heard the message. >> the financial well-being of the american people

ceiling. >> now, the other congressionally imposed deadline coming up is the so-called debt ceiling, something most americans hadn't even heard of before two years ago. so i want to be clear about this. the debt ceiling is not a question of authorizing more spending. raising the debt ceiling does not authorize more spending. it simply allows the country to pay for spending that congress has already committed to. >> and of course republicans tried to trick americans into believing the debt ceiling was a blank check or magic credit card for the president to go spend whatever he wanted to spend. of course, the united states constitution gives the power to tax and spend to the congress, and the congress alone. our current deficit is the result of money congress has already borrowed. president obama explained to the american people today how republicans in congress are trying to avoid doing their actual jobs. >> these are bills that have already been racked up. and we need to pay them. so while i'm willing to compromise and find common ground over how to reduce our deficits, america cannot afford a

set the record straight on the debt ceiling. >> now the other imposition is called the debt ceiling. something most americans had not heard of before two years ago. so i want to be clear about this. the debt ceiling is not a question of authorizing more spending. raising the debt ceiling does not authorize more spending. it simply allows the country to pay for spending that congress has already committed to. >> and of course republicans tried to trick americans into believing the debt ceiling was a blank check or magic credit card for the president to go spend whatever he wanted to spend. of course, the united states constitution gives the power to spend to congress. the result is the money congress has already borrowed. president obama explained to the american people in congress how they're trying to do their actual jobs. >> these are bills that are racked up. and we need to pay them. so while i'm we'illing to find compromise on how to pay our debts, americans should not be stopped from paying the bills we racked up. >> the country will be in a dire situation. president obama knows this. he

obama went on offense warning republicans not to play politics with the debt ceiling. here is some of what he had to say. >> raising the debt ceiling does not authorize more spending. it simply allows the country to pay for spending that congress has already committed to. if congressional republicans refuse to pay america's bills on time, social security checks and veterans' benefits will be delayed. we might not be able to pay our troops our honor our contracts with small business owners. markets could go haywire, interest rates would spike for anybody who borrows money, every home own we are a mortgage. it would be a self-inflicted wound on the economy. so to even entertain the idea of this happening, of the united states of america not paying its bills, is irresponsible. it's absurd. >> well, the president hass got to get past the debt ceiling in order to achieve his second term agenda but how does he do it when some republicans are threatening shutdown. chuck todd and howard fineman. chuck, you know, i get the sense i was listening to the late general schwarzkopf, the man shaping

congressional republicans over the debt ceiling and expressed support for new gun control measures. reaction from both sides coming just ahead. plus, lance armstrong with a change of heart, he says or something. now, we're told he has apologized, reports of tears and admission of some kind to oprah winfrey. we're got all the details. new study says more americans are working well past retirement. it says, i wonder why, but that is all ahead unless breaking news changes everything. >> first at 3:00 in new york city. president obama is warning that a political deadlock over the nation's debt ceiling could damage the u.s. economy and beyond. it's estimated without the deal the government could run out of money to pail its bills as early as mid-february. the president said the idea of refusing to raise the debt ceiling is irresponsible and absurd. >> republicans in congress have two choices here. they can act responsibly and pay america's bills are act irresponsibly and put america through another economic crisis. but they will not collect a ransom for not crashing the american economy

dollar claim to avoid the debt ceiling showdown or just raise the debt ceiling himself to avoid the amendment. they will avoid the mess than address what has created the mess. overspending. over eating. you don't think we see to the games? that chance. we see through of fact acre wearing dark clothes and filmed at a distance. they know he is a slob. so is washington. camera moved back. back. you are too close. you can catch inauguration coverage. i will be in washington d.c. but it will be filmed from new york for the big festivities. we will have drone technology taking all of theed e shots. here is what is "money" tonight. president obama announced his sweeping gun-control proposals, but with gun sales shooting through the roof and hundreds of millions of firearms already out there, can they really make a difference? today's power panel takes aim at the hot issue. plus at least seven americans are reported to be among dozens of oil and gas workers taken hostage in algeria. is this the first wave of al qaeda sponsor strikes against critical energy facilities? and could it disrupt s

know that he's going to start off talking about the debt ceiling. he'll call for republicans to raise it without a fight. but several gop members have already said the debt ceiling is going to be where they draw a line in the sand. >>> check out the first page of politico this morning. double trouble. house gop, eyes default, shutdown. and it talks about the very real possibility that house republican members want to see the government shut down or default if they don't get the cuts they want. >>> let me bring in "times" deputy bureau chief ed o'keefe. good morning to both of you. this is all just breaking now, but the president has said and he said it consistently. he's not negotiating over the debt ceiling. michael, is this more of what we're going to hear from him today? is he going to lay the groundwork for the battle ahead? >> i think so. to some degree i think what's happening is a game of chicken unfortunately. i know the financial markets hate it. and it kind of turns your stomach a little bit. but obama has said we're absolutely not negotiating over the weekend a signif

has not yet named his successor. democrats proposed legislation to kill the debt ceiling even though some republicans may be ready to cave. either way, you'll be serious to know the matter what happens, the credit rating could still get whacked. and bus drivers go on strike stranding more than 100,000 kids, many of them disabled. at stake in this battle, the kids, and millions of your dollars of tax money. more money coming up. [ male announcer ] you are a business pro. executor of efficiency. you can spot an amateur from a mile away... while going shoeless and metal-free in seconds. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choo any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. now this...will work. [ ale announcer ] just like you, business pro. just like you. go naonal. go like a pro. your financial advisor should focus on your long-term goals, not their short-term agenda. [ male announcer ] join the nearly 7 million investors who think like you do. face time and think time make a difference. at edward

. >> megyn: thanks, trace. and a push to completely eliminate the debt ceiling once and for all effectively eliminating any legal checks on federal spending. up next, stu varney, what this could mean and why a whole new class of taxes is also now getting some buzz. and new controversy over reports that federal agents waited to arrest an illegal immigrant and a sex offender who worked for this powerful democratic senator, senator menendez, you saw in that picture there. what, what really went on? why was this done? an early morning rescue puts a whole new meaning on another brick in the wall. as firefighters-- did you watch this on america's news room with bill and martha? firefighters worked hours to free a woman who got stuck in a tight spot, how it happened. ♪ ♪ caught between a rock and a hard place ♪ bayer aspirin was the first thing the emts gave me. now, i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ woman ] learn from my story. before you begin an aspirin regimen. music: "make someone happy" music: "make

to compromise on the debt ceiling. as usual he demonizing -- demonizes republicans for hurting our elderly and the troops. meanwhile the white house won't deliver its own budget in time and still wants to raise more taxes. we're about to hear a response from a republican house member. >>> that's not all. fed chief ben bernanke is saying it must raise the debt ceiling and that the fed is going to keep buying bonds for now. on this one-month anniversary of the heinous, awful newtown shootings, the sheriff comes out in favor of banning assault weapons. "the kudlow report" begins right now. >>> first up tonight, president obama slams the republicans. he says no gimmick, no magic coins. just the plain old standoff on the debt ceiling. who is gonna blink first in this? john harwood joins us from washington with the details. good evening. >> good evening. the president used the last news conference of first term to draw an ever-brighter line with congressional republicans on the debt ceiling. they say they want dollar for dollar spending cuts to be matched with an increase in the debt cei

closer to maxing out on a credit card. some lawmakers have a plan to fix that whole debt ceiling problem for good. plus folks in the deep south dealing with unusuallynter weat. first alert forecasters say get ready for round two. that's coming up as we reach the bottom of the hour and the top of the news. two minutes away. careful, pringles are bursting with flavor. ♪ pringles... bursting with flavor. >> bill: california man got more than he bargained for when he bought an old camera at cluttered antique store. the french stereo scope pick camera from 1901 cost him only $100. it turned out it contained historic photos from the first world war. they show war torn france including the remains of an airplane and men in uniform posing what appears to be a bomb. >> it was incredible to me that developed images were in the camera but now that i think about it, the serendipity of it and the fact that i saw that camera as i first walked in. >> he says he is going to make prints of the images and eventually sell them. i'm bill hemmer in tonight for shepard smith. this is the fox report. some de

announcing a new plan to eliminate the debt ceiling, claiming the gop is exploiting the issue for political gain. doug mckelway is live in washington with more on the democratic plan and the road ahead. hi, doug. >> reporter: hi, jenna. this democratic plan in a nutshell would basically do away with the statute that calls for the debt ceiling in the first place, allowing spending in effect to go up and up and up without the artificial cap that the debt ceiling is indeed. democrats are explaining this in a press conference right now as we speak, so we'll be learning a lot more about it as the day progresses. republicans obviously deeply opposed to this thing, fearful that democrats will indeed use it to allow spending to go up and up. here is senator john barrasso speaking on fox news this morning. >> we have a spending problem in this country. people all across the country know it. they know it in wyoming. families have to balance their budget every year. many states do. we do in wyoming. it is time for the senate and the house and the president to get serious about limiting our spending an

republican lawmaker who says there are three events coming that will coalesce. debt ceiling discussion, debt ceiling and the fact that the federal government will run out of money at the end of march. >> all those bring a confluence of an opportunity to drive a debate and drive changes that get us towards long-term prosperity and get us off of this notion that we can just continue to borrow and spend. >> reporter: it is clear most republicans want there to be spending cuts as part of these fiscal matters as they work on long-term extensions or solving these problems long term. jenna. jenna: mike, if we're hearing this, then the white house is probably hearing this as well. any reaction from the white house about potentially this plan from republicans? report or the jenna, --. >> reporter: jenna white house officials are saying if congress doesn't want to raise the debt ceiling they should authority rise president obama to do it himself. they should extend it so it doesn't cause concern for the economy and global markets. >> longstanding tradition for the congress to raise the debt ceil

around the debt ceiling coming up and to make this the issue, how do you think that will work? >> that's why i wonder how serious he is. i'm not questioning his motives. now he knows for the next two months all we're going to be talking about is the debt ceiling, sequestration, the continuing resolution, ending the fiscal cliff, all of these. >> you're not questioning his motives of what he's suggesting. he'd rather have a conversation about guns than the debt ceiling? >> i think the president is trying to get political support from his base, maybe he feels it strengthens him going into negotiations with the republicans or the fiscal issues. listen these guys won't even ban assault weapons, how can you trust them on taxes and spending. i see it as building up his political position which is not wrong but i don't think in his heart of hearts he thinks he's going to pass any significant legislation. >> congressman king in the studio after my asking all the time. >> i couldn't stay away from you, soledad. >> she's not really a tough interviewer is she? >> she's very nice and mult

expectations in check in terms of what they can do, specifically on the debt ceiling, for example. we just heard the house republicans are going to try to negotiate a short-term debt ceiling deal so they can try to go for a grand bargain. second-term presidencies have just been spent and filled with misspent political capital that has just eoverreach in terms of presidents looking for a legacy and overspending their political capital. that's the risk president obama -- >> interesting in this cnn poll that just come out, how is president obama handling his job as president, approve 53%, disapprove 42%. but when they are asked how is the countryheaded, right direction 35%, wrong direction, 57%. they approve of the president but think he's going completely in the wrong direction. he's a lucky boy, many would argue, that he's gotten a second term, given the state of the economy, given the fact that most americans think the country is going in the wrong direction. he's been given that lucky second chance. and he campaigned well. you have to give him that. what are his challenges in the second t

anything for raising the debt ceiling. it's on them. if they want to take the heat for veterans benefits and social security benefits not getting to people, what game of chicken are we playing here? >> really high stakes game of chicken is what we're playing here. i had the occasion of going back and reading actually the president's first news conference after he became president, and he is talking then about his overtures to republicans and how he hopes he can create habits of good behavior. well, it's been four long years, and that was about the feistiest press conference spurred by nothing other than he just really wanted to send this signal once again. his message was i'm not backing down, and he is getting the message back from republicans that they aren't either. i think we're going to be asking ourselves which side is going to blink for the next several weeks. i don't know that -- i don't feel confident that i know the answer to that question. >> ruth marcus, thank you very much. kristen welker thank you, from the white house. >>> new york state now is the first state to

limit, the debt ceiling. that's in just about an hour and a half. when it happens, we'll bring it to you live. >>> the 20 million people of beijing, china, are enduring a fourth day of choking, hazardous air pollution. reports of respiratory problems and mask sales have sky rocketed. schoolchildren aren't able to play outdoors. many say it's worse than four years ago, while the officials in china claim the air quality has improved. >>> back here at home, water levels of the great lakes are expected to break the all time low sometime in the next few months. lake michigan and lake huron fell to record low levels in december. cargo ships are being forced to lighten their loads, and some harbors have already closed. >>> after three months of gas prices going down, they're now working their way back up. the lundberg survey saw the average price of a gallon of regular is $3.32. that's up more than 6 cents from three weeks earlier. >>> a couple of new american rides can now be called best in show. this morning at the north american international auto show, the cadillac ats was named car

, wolt if. they say they are going to have a vote that will delay the debt ceiling for three months. so what they are doing, if you really look at house republicans who took the majority two years ago, they did it standing on principle for pretty much every squirmish. it seems that they are becoming a bit more sophisticated, rather, but their understanding, it seems, is that you have to pick your battles. losing credit ratings and so forth, that's not a smart battle to wage. look at some of the most conservative members of the house talking to deirdre walsh at the end of their retreat for three days about picking their battles in a better way. >> deal with the smaller ones first, maybe build up a little momentum, credibility, not only with the credit markets but with the folks back home, that we can actually deal with these things, take the small one first, debt ceiling last, i think it's a rational, reasonable thing to do. >> now, for some, wolf, maybe even those in the republican house leadership, like him talking about what is rational and reasonable, that may be a bit jarring bu

words, collect a ransom by demanding spending cuts as a condition for raising the debt ceiling. the house of representatives is back in session today, too, and republicans are just as adamant, insisting they won't raise the debt limit, unless the president goes along with spending cuts. let's go live to cnn white house correspondent brianna keilar. >> reporter: president obama stating very clearly today that he will not negotiate deficit reduction, tax increases and spending cuts attached to the debt ceiling. this of course does follow that bruising battle the year before last, where he did negotiate on the issue, and the u.s. nearly went to the brink of default. he said that congress has to pay the bills that it's already racked up. >> you don't go out to dinner and then, you know, eat all you want and then leave without paying the check. and if you do, you're breaking the law. and congress should think about it the same way that the american people do. you don't -- now, if congress want, to have a debate about maybe we shouldn't go out to dinner next time, maybe we should go to a

looming. one example the debt creel and controlli -- debt ceiling and what americans describe as out of control spending. what do key republicans take with the attitude toward congress at this point? >> to get real solutions president obama needs to understand what will pass in the republican led house. it will also be acceptable to him. lawmakers tend to be unhappy when the president goes around them. they called on mr. obama to do better. >> he speaks in general terms likes the executive order approach a whole lot better than the legislative approach. you can't get all that foreign with executive order. you have to legislate and you have to legislate realistically. you have to realize you don't control the entire congress. >> republicans don't like that the president is converting his campaign apparatus into a purpose that helped him in his second term. they are thinking that is probably not a good sign in working in a bipartisan fashion. >> one area where they do not agree at all is over the budget. it>> it has been a source of problems when they work on critical issues and bu

debt seal ceiling takes a new turn. can the president make an end run around congress? some lawmakers saying it should be an option. we'll talk with former governor, haley barbour. confirmation clash. republican senator lindsay graham vows to hold up john brennan's confirmation to the cia until we get inching on the attacks in benghazi. and the national cathedral says yes to same-sex marriage, receiving cheers and jeers. we will have a fair and balanced debate. america's news headquarters from the nation's capitol starts right now. president obama's second term hasn't started officially, but the agenda and the cabinet are taking shape. so are some of the clashes over the president's nominations. jennifer griffin has more on the fights ahead. >> reporter: first, there will be the confirmation battles, many of which seem like they will be bruising. none more than the hearing before the senate armed services committee over the new defense secretary, chuck hagel. the hearings could start as early as this week. the white house has mounted a vigorous defense. hagel says his record on iran,

washington prepares to duke it out over the debt ceiling, one said we should get rid of it all together? does ben bernanke have a point? >> the nra releases a new target practice ap for kids as young as 4. >> we have a packed show for you this morning. mike thompson joins us and greg walden is our guest. the congressman and newly crowned miss america, mallory hagen will be joining us. tuesday, january 15th and starting point begins right now. . >>> welcome to starting point. after years and years of lying to the world, lance armstrong is finally coming clean. there report he's confessed to oprah winfrey and he used drugs to win his titles. sources say he is in talks to have some of the millions he was paid by the postal service to sponsor the tour. cnn's ed is live in austin, texas. let's talk about what he told oprah and what the next steps are for lance armstrong. >> the big question will be to what extent did he confess and how much detail is he going to offer? also from the standpoint of how did he offer it and what was the body language there? lance armstrong is an athlete

please end the debt ceiling. no more debt ceiling. you don't like that. judge napolitano: what do they mean? the treasury could borrow whatever it wanted by statute and not need an authorization? this would -- it is not constitutional but it would take 180 degrees from the rule of the road before the federal reserve. and the congress had to approve each and every borrower including the amount borrowed, interest paid and identity of the lender. the purchaser of the bond. these people, secretary of the treasury to borrow whatever it wants? stuart: i believe so. i have not heard the wording. judge napolitano: we are marching toward greece even faster than now. stuart: is it for your learning greek? you are laughing. i don't know. judge napolitano: thank you very much. stuart: we will take it. thank you very much. next, the chief of police in a new york town. he is for gun control and when you hear his personal story you may understand why. he is coming up next. stuart: it went up like a rocket and coming down today. we're talking chipotle, big loser today. earnings missed estimates.

time it's over the debt ceiling and from the white house to capitol hill democrats and republicans are sparring over the best way to ensure the nation pays its bills and now they're taking the fight to you as both sides try to sell their point of view. president obama warning about what could happen if that debt limit is not raised. >> if congressional republicans refuse to pay america's bills on time, social security checks, and veterans benefits will be delayed. we might not be able to pay our troops or contracts with small business owners. investors around the world will ask if the united states of america a safe bet. >> the republican house speaker john boehner responding immediately to the president's remarks issuing a statement that read "the american people do not support raising the debt ceiling without reducing government spending at the same time. the consequences of failing to increase the debt ceiling are real, but so, too, are the consequences of allowing our spending problem to go unresolved." joining us is amy kremer, chairwoman of the tea party express. thanks for c

the debt ceiling and two-thirds of the republican caucuses voted for this. they want to send a message that they really, really needed it, that they want to cut spending for every doll they put out there, even on disaster relief, which historically has not been required to have an offset. >> and definitely has ruffled feathers in the last congress. all of our viewers i'm sure will rememb how new jersey governor chris christie didn't hold back in showing how angry he was at congress, the house, and specifically speaker boehner when the vote was delayed last time. listen to him. this is on january 2nd. >> new jersey deserves better than the due police tea we saw displayed last night. america deserves better than just another example of a government that has forgotten who is the to serve and why. 66 days and counting. shame on you. shame on congress. >> when you listen to that and when you listen to the house floor and sound bites before , s what you're saying why speaker boehner did what he did in the very beginning of january? >> reporter: absolutely. he took the hit. he pulled

you for your time tonight. >>> battle over the debt ceiling and spending cuts. jon harwood will recap the latest war of words doming up next. then words from the billionaire executive who says we need to watch out for creeping socialism into the country. he was born in hungary and he sees a lot of warning signs. >>> plus nightmare on housing. so called zombie homes. what are they? this will shock you. back in a moment. [ male announcer ] you've climbed a few mountains during your time. and having an investment expert like northern trust by your side makes all the difference. we add precision to your portfolio construction by directly matching your assets and your risk preferences against your own unique life goals. we call it goals driven investing. after all, you don't climb a mountain just to sit at the top. you look around for other mountains to climb. ♪ expertise matters. find it at northern trust. >>> welcome back. zombie homes, have you heard of this? diana olick tells us what they are and how they can impact your property value. >> they are foreclosures that never happe

to raise the debt ceiling, or exercise the responsibility that they have kept for themselves and raise the debt ceiling, because this is about paying the bills. this is not a complicated concept. you do not go out to dinner and then eat all you want and then leave without paying the check. if you do, you are breaking the law. congress should think about the same way the american people do. if congress wants to say maybe we should go to a more modest restaurant, that's fine. in order to curb our appetite, we're not going to pay the people who already provided the insurance, already front of the money. that is not showing any discipline. that is just not meeting obligations. you cannot do that. that is not a credible way to run the government. we cannot going from crisis to crisis when there is a path in front of us that require stability and compromise. that's how this goes. that is how this needs to work. >> thank you, mr. president. binding votes for the debt ceiling can sometimes be complicated. in previous aspects of american history, president reagan, president h. w. bush, pr

the lens of politics. the other congressional-imposed thing coming up is a debt ceiling, something americans have not heard of before two years ago. the debt ceiling is not a question of authorizing more spending. raising the debt ceiling does not authorize more spending. it simply allows the country to pay for spending that congress has already committed to. these are bills that have party been racked up, and we need to pay them. so while i am willing to compromise and find common ground for how to reduce the deficits, america cannot afford another debate with this congress about whether or not they should pay the bills they have already racked up. if congressional republicans refuse to pay america's bills on time, social security checks, veterans benefits will be delayed. we might not be able to pay our troops or honor our contracts with small-business owners. food inspectors, air traffic controllers, specialists who track down loose nuclear materials would not get their paychecks. investors around the world will ask if the united states of america is in fact a safe bet. markets

look at options the treasury department has to avoid hitting the debt ceiling and later, the mission and scope of the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives. "washington journal" is next. ♪ host: good morning, it is monday, january 14, 2014. the house returns to capitol hill today for an abbreviated worth -- an abbreviated work week. it will include spending and though relief in the wake of hurricane sandy. work continues on the obama administration's response in the wake of the mass shooting in connecticut. that is where we want to be in with you this morning. what fox you have on the roll of film, television, and video games in this ongoing debate? what responsibility, if any, to those groups have to change or put restrictions on their products? give us a call on the democratic line. for democrats, 202-585-3880. for republicans, 202-585-3881. for independents, 202-585-3882. and if you are outside the united states, 202-585-3883. you can catch up with us on all of your favorite social media sites. or you can e-mail us, journal@c- span.org. i want to start wit

republicans, he trying to work on the debt ceiling. you have the whole issue of whether or not the debt ceiling is going to be raised, whether or not that is going to be held hostage to actually paying the bills the government has to pay. you also talk about immigration reform. where does this fit in in terms of the president's priorities, do you think? >> well, from where i sat today, obviously it seems to be a very high priority for the president of the united states. i'll let the white house and the administration answer how they're going to deal with congress. that's their task, not mine. but i'm confident that the president, the vice president and the entire administration is going to do everything they can to get the package they proposed today through congress. and, you know, when you heard the president say, i think it's essential, american citizens, the american people have to demand this. we have to act. when you have 1,000 people nearly killed in last 30 days at the hands of gun, when you have mass tragedies like happened in connecticut, aurora, colorado, oregon, enough is en

answer. some people do. there is a big debate in the coming weeks as we get to this debt ceiling debate. talk to me, from your perspective, about this notion of compassionate conservatism. there was a movement 12 years ago to present that as an alternative. what happened to that? >> i would be glad to go down that road but i do not think it is useful. in the 1970's, jack was trying to gently develop a real understanding of how to break through at every level, housing, learning, jobs. and who i always told people, as a football quarterback, had showered with more african- americans than most republicans knew, had a deep, passionate commitment with every american he met. his heart was big. he did love everybody, to a point where it drives you crazy. you think, slightly less love, jack, it is ok. the use of it by the bush people was a political slogan to show they are softer than the gingrich republicans. they did not think through any serious, systematic program. i want to commend you. sitting here, i had two ideas, sufficiently radical, that would never have occurred without this convers

the debt ceiling increase by three months. i mean in a fragile recovery like the one we have we need to have certainty, we need to pay our bills, and we need to send president obama a clean debt ceiling increase. >> you also will need to have a budget in place in order to come to that debt ceiling debate as the republicans have laid it out at this point and you're also going to be dealing with the deficit and all of the other issues. so are you basically saying you don't think anything's changed here? >> no. i think the republicans have realized it's a political problem and a real problem if we jeopardize the full faith and credit of the united states. i'm not sure they understand we need to pay our bills. they seem to be confused if they only proposed three months. a clean debt ceiling is the only way to go. when we get to march 2nd and the sequester deadline approaches again, we need to focus on a balanced debt ceiling focus. that's what this is about. the americans made a decision. they embrace president obama's idea that we should have revenue and closed tax loopholes for the wea

. we heard from the republicans on extending the debt ceiling for at least a three-month period. is this any signs of hope in terms of cooperation or more maneuvering? >> i think this unfortunately more a sign that republicans realize it was horribly damaging to them to continue to jeopardize the full faith and credit of the united states. now, it still does that because they are really perpetrating colossal uncertainty by proposing only to extend the debt ceiling increase by three months. i mean in a fragile recovery like the one we have we need to have certainty, we need to pay our bills, and we need to send president obama a clean debt ceiling increase. >> you also will need to have a budget in place in order to come to that debt ceiling debate as the republicans have laid it out at this point and you're also going to be dealing with the deficit and all of the other issues. so are you basically saying you don't think anything's changed here? >> no. i think the republicans have realized it's a political problem and a real problem if we jeopardize the full faith and credit of the u

debt ceiling because all eyes were on this potential new controversy that was about to happen as we were just past the fiscal cliff. now we are going to hit the debt ceiling debasement now it appears house g.o.p. members are putting forth this idea. maybe a bit of an olive branch saying three month extension in the debt ceiling would enable them to come to some sort of a deal not without caveats on spending. turk turk tied to. the budget. the senate hasn't in three years. unless the senate comes up with a budget by april 15th. no more pay for members of congress. which might be a stimulus of its own kind. >> alisyn: there is a new fox news poll about how americans are feeling about this. all of our budget battles. here is the question we asked. is government spending being managed carefully or out of control? not surprisingly now 83% of you say that it is out of control verses just 11% who say it's managed carefully and those numbers have become more extreme in the past two and three years. >> here is another big question we asked you fox news poll should the debt limit be raised ag

works." >> catherine: another battle the president is facing -- the debt ceiling. he called on congress today to act quickly to raise it.saying america is not a 'dead-beat nation' that doesn't pay its bills. he says the mere threat of defaulting on government obligations is hurting the economy. the government has hit its borrowing limit and is expected to run out of ways to pay bills by early march. most people have never heard launchers and other weapons. former president bush is finally released from a hospital. right now, 40's through daly city. as for the current temperatures? quickly dropping into the 40's. 44 in daly city. a 49 in fremont. but we are in for a nother round of the 30's and '40's again tonight. from the san mateo bridge we are seeing clear skies. the cold air mass with the combination of these things and a light went with cold temperatures and yet again the. taking a look at futurecast. widespread 30's. take a look a your screen. already 20's and 30's for the north bay. temperatures will start to warm up of but very slowly. still dealing with a 30 degree rea

few days, the republicans have made some offers with respect to the debt ceiling and i've seen some republicans talking about immigration reform. so maybe we are on a roll. but i wouldn't bet on it yet. >> i, too, noticed those offers on things like the debt ceiling. but, general, what you've -- there's the real first couple of new york and washington, d.c. beyonce and jay-z entering. that will get a lot of attention. we just missed james taylor coming down the stairs. general, there's just flat out hatred out there, too. there is nastiness out there in the land. there's nastiness between these two parties. there's the president and mrs. carter. how do we fix that? let's especially go to the republican party. they've got -- they've been -- they've been caucusing. they've been quite literally in retreat these past few days. house republicans. what do they do to widen, if it is in their interests, widen their doorway to membership, to entry? >> well, as i've been saying and sat with david gregory the other day, the party is not where the american people have been in recent years. when